Physical tests for simulating a crash between a vehicle and pedestrians or a vehicle and its occupants are a powerful tool for developing improvements of technical devices and may be helpful in product development and failure analysis. Other investigations, without necessarily performing a crash between two components, may relate to the determination of a behaviour of a component experiencing a time dependent force load.
Various legal and industrial regulations exist which need to be fulfilled in order to accept a vehicle as sufficiently safe. Examples are FMVSS, IIHS, Whiplash IIWPG, ECE-Regulations, or Euro-, US-, Japan-NCAP. Directive Whiplash IIWPG, for instance, regards the protection for vehicle occupants in case of a collision of the vehicle with an obstacle. Whiplash and whiplash-associated disorders (WAD) represent a range of injuries to the neck caused by or related to a sudden distortion of the neck.
DE 103 39 409 discloses a shooting device for accelerating a test body under pre-selected conditions against a fixed object, which is part of a vehicle, in an acceleration direction. The test body has a linear moving carrier on which it is held using a mounting. The carrier is linked with the inductor cam of a linear motor to permit control of its firing velocity. The cam moves along a reaction bar that is parallel to the carrier guide.
DE 101 04 192 discloses a holder which holds a test body. The holder is provided with a carrier which can be accelerated. The carrier can be selectively operated in either a free-flight mode or a guided mode. At least part of the accelerated carrier carrying the holder is movable in the guided mode until the test body collides with the object, and can be braked in the free-flight mode prior to the collision.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,609,409 discloses an impact test stand for vehicle components, such as interior parts, operating parts and components of an occupant restraint system includes a stationary frame and an impact body. The impact body is mounted on a carriage. The carriage is guided by a guide track and driven by a linear drive. By accelerating the carriage, the impact body is driven against the component to be tested.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,675,631 discloses a method of conducting crash tests uses a crash-test carriage. The crash-test carriage is accelerated in accordance with a real deceleration curve to thereby simulate deceleration forces associated with a real collision, the crash-test carriage having a carriage drive apparatus associated therewith. The method includes the step of exerting an accelerating force on the crash-test carriage in an acceleration direction, the accelerating force exceeding a respective force required for acceleration in accordance with the real deceleration curve. The method also includes a step of exerting a braking force on the crash-test carriage in a direction opposite the acceleration direction in order to achieve a desired acceleration curve. The braking force is applied on one of the crash-test carriage and the carriage drive apparatus, the braking force being so large so as to accelerate the crash-test carriage in accordance with the desired acceleration curve.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,929,348 discloses an apparatus for dynamic testing by rapidly accelerating a test specimen which includes a sled carriage slidably mounted on first and second elevated horizontal tracks attached to a fixed foundation for free movement of the sled carriage along the tracks from a first to a second track location. The sled carriage has an essentially horizontal mounting plate terminating in a leading edge at one end and a trailing edge at an opposite end, and impact block mounted to the bottom surface of the mounting place intermediate the leading and trailing edges. A pressure differential firing component has a moveable thrust surface for striking the impact block, the pressure differential firing component being attached to the foundation between the tracks so at least a portion of the bottom surface of the mounting plate of the sled carriage between the leading edge and the impact block can override at least a portion of a firing chamber component of the pressure differential firing component. A high pressure compressed gas storage chamber is attached to the foundation between the tracks in a position substantially parallel to the firing chamber, and manifold component fluidly connecting the gas storage chamber with the firing chamber whereby, upon actuation of a trigger component. Gas in the gas chamber causes the thrust surface to strike the impact block whereby longitudinal movement is imparted to the sled carriage to cause propelled movement of the sled carriage from the first to the second track location.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,035,728 discloses a test rig for impact testing on vehicles which comprises a platform for mounting a vehicle seat and test dummy and an array of individually selectively controllable actuators, in close proximity to the platform. The actuators are extendible towards the platform by individually determinable velocities. Control loops and microprocessors assist the control. In this way a more accurate and versatile simulation is possible of anyone of a variety of crash situations including pole impacts. Vehicle characteristics can be simulated without the need to use expensive actual vehicle parts.
However, conventional test systems may be inaccurate, time consuming or inconvenient in use.